England rises to third in FIFA rankings, Southgate targets top spot

It is the equal to the highest position England has achieved in FIFA’s standings, and head coach Gareth Southgate has made reaching the top spot a priority for his players.

England’s head coach Gareth Southgate and England’s Rico Lewis stand on the touchline during the Euro 2024 group C qualifying match between North Macedonia and England at National Arena Todor Proeski in Skopje, North Macedonia, Monday, Nov. 20, 2023. | Photo Credit: AP

England has returned to third in the FIFA men’s world rankings after cruising through its Euro 2024 qualification campaign, with Brazil falling out of the top four.

It is equal to the highest position England has achieved in FIFA’s standings, and head coach Gareth Southgate has made reaching the top spot a priority for his players.

“We’re two places off where we need to be,” Southgate said earlier this month in anticipation of returning to third where England were in 2021. “Am I driven by being ranked number one? Yes, because ultimately, you achieve that through consistency.”

World champions Argentina remain at the top, with France second and Belgium in fourth spot.

Back-to-back defeats by Colombia and Argentina have seen Brazil drop down to fifth place.

Switzerland dropped four places to 18th, while the biggest risers were the Comoros Islands, who jumped nine spots to 119th after notable wins against the Central African Republic and Ghana.